Caroline O'Connor, Jenny Montana, Aya Inoue, and Savanna O'Connor at ½ Lounge Tuesday 11/25/08
Category: Music


Another rainy Tuesday and another opportunity for a lovely night of music presented itself. I had to push myself out to take advantage of it but I'm so glad I did. I donned the black and the spring coat and the raincoat over it and off I went to the ½ Lounge.
I arrived just after 9pm and Aya Inoue was onstage playing the hell out of her acoustic guitar and letting her lovely voice fill the room. She played a bunch of songs about affairs of the heart as each musical voyage went through one lovely change after another. She played pure and strong and is someone I definitely need to pay more attention to. She wrapped up her set with a cover of Angel from Montgomery then made way for Savanna O'Connor.
Savanna took the stage and said she only had two songs and both had some great hooks. She sang a bit more tentatively than ideal but that probably had a lot more to do with it being her first time onstage rather than anything else. You could tell when she spoke that she has a lot more power in her voice and I'm sure it will come as she gets more comfortable with an audience.
Her sister Caroline O'Connor followed with a powerhouse set of singing and playing guitar. With voice strong and true she sang song after song until I became surprised at how long her set was. Until then I had only know a few of her songs, but that lovely Tuesday she pulled out several brand new songs and they all sounded great. It will take a bit of time to get to know them and I am so willing.
Jenny Montana took her acoustic guitar to the stage and went out of her way to baffle me as much as Caroline did. The last time I saw her she played most of the songs on her new album but not that night. She did a great version of High Tension Wire which is a hit waiting to be heard by the masses, but for the most part it was all either new or old songs and it was very solid. I listened while greatly appreciating her cool style with that tiny warm heartbeat in the middle and was floored when she pulled out a cover of the Tragically Hip's Flamenco. Perhaps her version could use a bit of tightening but it's kind of a sprawling song anyway and just to hear her sing the "Does it diminish your supercapacity for love" line sent chills through me.
If there is any doubt as to whether you should check out artists such as these, this show put them to rest. I could be easy to overlook and yet being there was pure magic.